[Alzheimer's disease: therapeutic perspectives]

Bull Acad Natl Med. 2008 Feb;192(2):333-42; discussion 343-4.
[Article in French]

Abstract

Current treatments for Alzheimer's disease aim to compensate for biochemical deficits in the brain. They are purely symptomatic and restore the central cholinergic deficit. Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors have modest but significant efficacy on cognitive disorders, activities of daily living, and the global clinical impression. Glutaminergic receptor antagonists are used for more advanced forms. Future treatments may be curative, acting specifically on the amyloid cascade. Secretase inhibitors and immunotherapy are in the pipeline. Trials will begin within a few months and will open up new perspectives.

Publication types

  • English Abstract
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Alzheimer Disease / drug therapy
  • Alzheimer Disease / therapy*
  • Alzheimer Vaccines / therapeutic use
  • Amyloid Precursor Protein Secretases / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Amyloid beta-Peptides / therapeutic use
  • Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor / metabolism
  • Animals
  • Cholinesterase Inhibitors / therapeutic use
  • Clinical Trials, Phase II as Topic
  • Drug Delivery Systems
  • Drug Evaluation, Preclinical
  • Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists / therapeutic use
  • Humans
  • Immunotherapy
  • Nootropic Agents / therapeutic use
  • Peptide Fragments / therapeutic use
  • Receptors, Glutamate / drug effects
  • tau Proteins / antagonists & inhibitors

Substances

  • AN-1792
  • Alzheimer Vaccines
  • Amyloid beta-Peptides
  • Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor
  • Cholinesterase Inhibitors
  • Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists
  • MAPT protein, human
  • Nootropic Agents
  • Peptide Fragments
  • Receptors, Glutamate
  • amyloid beta-protein (1-42)
  • tau Proteins
  • Amyloid Precursor Protein Secretases